Blindly Falling and Fast
by RenjiLuvah
Summary: Ch5: For their one year anniversary, he felt like there was nothing that would make his little Tiger happier than a few spins on the tea cups and a few rolls on a coaster...
1. Chapter 1: Blindly

**ToraDora is such a tiny fandom here on this site and I absolutely love that. It's nice to feel like I can enter a fandom here without fear of it being corrupted by unreasonable fans. And besides, smaller fandoms are more fun.**

**First up, I know a lot of fans wanted a little more after the ending, so I'd like to imagine there was a bit more to the story when Taiga sat in that classroom before Ryuuji arrived… Maybe my vision is more fun? Enjoy.**

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**Blindly **

The cicadas were noisy this season - buzzing incessantly and adding static to the hammering of her heart in her ears. The sound of her breathing sounding like a rude wheeze in her mind, Taiga internally cursing herself with every inhale. In an attempt to steady her thoughts, the small girl chipped her nails into the windowsill she was perched upon.

_Idiot. You've been planning this for months. Don't chicken out now._

She'd always imagined that she would be fully prepared for this moment. After everything she'd been through within the past year or so, the young girl had done a decent job convincing herself that she was ready for anything. After all, she'd mustered up a lot of courage to return to where she did, leaving the only glimmer of hope she had behind to reconcile with the parents she had trained herself to hate.

That handful of days were the best and worst days of her life.

It was harder than she thought. After finally arriving at her mother's, it wasn't until several days that it hit her, and Taiga had done nothing but cry to sleep. A few days after, she bucked up, receiving another text message from Ryuuji a week after her class had sent her that picture.

His reply was simple and it was all she needed. Just like always.

_I'll be here. And I'll tell you when you come back._

It kept her going. She returned with her mother for a reason and she would see it through, cherishing the bit of strength being granted to her from all the people she loved. It was probably the longest and fastest year she had ever experienced. Before she knew it, she had ended up here again - sitting by the window in 2-C, her legs covered in the sharp blue pleats from another high school miles away. While her uniform made her feel as if she were invading a place she didn't belong, there was still that warm nostalgic feeling in the room- as if the past year had been a dream, and she had never left.

The floors smelled of pine. Being recently mopped, Taiga was already sifting through memories of sneakers squeaking across floors; Images of her and Minorin chasing that stupid Chihuahua before sliding beneath tables and knocking over _bentos_. Then Kitamura had to cut in before they got into too much trouble. When the room had calmed into a hush just before the professor returned, Ryuuji would sternly tap her shoulder.

She always turned away. Crossing her arms, she would try to avoid his scolding. However, even without looking, Taiga could see his sneer clearly. It was as if she had either grown eyes on the back of her head or she had just somehow memorized him. She remembered the heaviness in his palm when he shoved it over her hair. And she remembered the rasp in his voice when he told her that she had overdid it.

Taiga huffed, enjoying the breeze at her back and the ambiance of people out front.

Graduation day. Funny how such a day felt like salvation to her in so many ways…

Before she could turn to face the glass, she heard the disturbance in the conversations outside. By the rush of scratching of footsteps stomping through chattering graduates, once again, Taiga didn't have to turn to know what was happening.

The dragon. He was coming for her.

Originally, the flaxen haired girl planned on staying by that windowsill, eager to greet him with one of her knowing smirks as soon as he set eyes on her. But as she heard the clock chime and the curious voices become more abrupt, Taiga did the one thing she told herself she wouldn't do on this day.

Panic.

Her vision darting around the room, Taiga searched for anywhere to coop herself into. Her chest was tight, her head swimming and if she didn't hide, she might have just burst into tears. Pressing a cold handle in the corner, the girl stuffed herself into the locker with a slam.

"You're an idiot," she chided before hearing the sound of running cease in front of the door.

Her heart stopped.

For a moment, she doubted herself. Maybe sticking herself in this locker was really stupid of her. No. There was no doubt there. This was stupid of her. But now it was too late! Would he be angry? Would he be happy to see her? Would things be awkward?

Maybe, just _maybe_, she was _a lot_ more nervous than she had been counting on.

Still trapped in her fears, it wasn't until the locker opened that Taiga had no choice but to confront the source of her anxiety. Thankful to be free from the dust emitting itself from the locker, but now finding the air outside a bit frightening, Taiga fumbled with the sides of her skirt.

"I was going to surprise you."

She kept her voice unfazed while her hands dampened with perspiration.

"It seems like you grew," he said, his tone a decibel deeper than she had recalled. The sound made something in her chest turn.

"Not even a millimeter," Taiga mumbled, avoiding his gaze as usual, "I'm sorry-"

_Sorry? What do I have to be sorry for? Taiga, you idiot-_

She was sputtering accidentally, without thinking, and before she could reprimand herself for being so foolish, Ryuuji's words erased her track of thought.

"Listen."

Then, she made a big mistake. She _looked_ at him.

He still looked the same, strangely enough, except for minor details only _she_ probably noticed - despite her being one who never paid as much attention to such things the way he did. After all, he was the obsessive-compulsive organizer- not her.

He towered over her, leaning forward to accommodate her line of vision. She'd never found the height intimidating, except for times such as these – but in a slightly comforting way. The dark hair over his eyes made his mellow stare all the more intense, and in that one fraction of a second where she stood silent, she could make out the slight tan over his cheeks, the perfect trim in his sideburns and already, she could feel herself being swathed by an odor of musk she could only recall as being simply Ryuuji.

Perhaps, it was this thing canines had…

"I love you."

_Damn, you, stupid dog!_

If Tigers were one of the most fearsome and dominating species of mammals out there, Aisaka was doing a terrible job at keeping true to her legacy. Standing in front of him, she shrunk, feeling more like a kitten he was slowly reaching in to tickle behind an ear.

Taiga felt her cheeks grow hot. Feeling her eyes weigh her skull back to the floor, she struggled with the words to respond. Her heart was the loudest it had ever been all day. Barely able to hear herself think and knowing that he was waiting for an answer, Taiga did the only thing she _could_ do in this situation.

Act on instinct. And on instinct, she was clumsy…and abusive.

Ramming her head into his chin, she heard him grunt and stumble back.

"W-Why would you say something like that? You should have waited for a better mood or something!"

That was when the pain kicked in.

Feeling tears blind her vision and a dull stab spread over the top of her head, she shielded her hair with her forearms.

"You, stupid, dog! My head hurts!"

"Because you_ jumped_ into my _face_, remember?"

"W-well, nobody told you to say that so suddenly! You caught me off guard!"

"What else was I supposed to say? I've been wanting to say that since the day you…left…"

The yelling halted.

"Oi. Taiga."

Her throat too dry to speak, she hummed.

"Hmm?"

"Are you cold?"

_It's sixty degrees outside. What kind of idiotic question was that? _

Feeling her anger rise up again, the girl uncoiled the arms that cradled her head just to peek upwards and hiss, "_Cold?_ Why do you keep saying such stupid things to me-"

The room was dark all of a sudden. At first, Taiga feared she had finally succumbed to her muddled emotions and somehow passed out. But upon feeling a sensation of soft warmth against her lips, the girl had understood that it was only dark because her eyes closed.

Already, the girl could feel her breath skip. Afraid that he would sense her emotions, Aisaka motioned to move back into the locker before one of his hands had begun to dull the pain that still throbbed throughout her scalp.

He always knew how to make everything better, even when it hurt.

Giving up, Taiga surrendered. Her arms wilted and Ryuuji supported her weight against him, lightly buffing his fingers across her thick hair. When he parted from her, their eyes met, and this was at a point where Taiga resisted looking away.

"I'm sorry. You said it was warm last time, so I-"

"Idiot," Taiga cringed.

"…"

Not wanting to lie to herself any longer and eager to release all the bottled up emotion she'd been saving for this day, the girl squeezed the hand he had rested against her waist.

"I- I don't have to be cold for you to do that-"

He was about to take that as his cue to continue before Taiga pushed him back.

"W-w-wait!"

"What? What did I do now?"

"Can't you do anything right, you dog?"

"Arrrgh, Taiga-" He growled, growing frustrated at her schizophrenic attitude before she whispered.

"I love you, too…"

Not wanting to give him the chance to feel embarrassed, the girl yanked at his collar.

"Okay, I'm cold again."

"But- but you just said-"

Bringing his lips back on hers, she stopped to scold him one last time.

"Shut up and give me more!"

"Arrrgh, you're greedy."

Ryuuji yielded to her clutch on his shirt and met her lips in an appreciative kiss. Feeling herself melt into the presence she had waited so long to come back to, Taiga squeezed his back tightly until she was sure it hurt.

Even so, Ryuuji didn't let go.

The Tiger didn't have to open her eyes to see that the Dragon was smiling. She could feel it against her mouth.

It was the same case for him apparently, for the Dragon didn't have to see her in order for him to understand.

The Tiger was crying in his arms. He could feel it in his heart…

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**I'd like to make this a collection of drabbles involving mostly TaigaxRyuuji and maybe some other pairings. I just need some inspiration. So, if anyone has any ideas, let me know. I can't promise I'll fulfill them all, or any, but they might help me move in the right direction. Let me know what you guys think too since this is the first time I've ever written for this pair.**


	2. Chapter 2: Oven Mitts

**Thank you so much for all the support on my first drabble. I really appreciate it. This one was inspired by an idea from my first reviewer, Kadirva, or so I believe. If I'm mistaken, please tell me. I have the memory of a goldfish. **

**Ah, fluff. What would Taiga and Ryuuji be if there was no fluff? Enjoy. :3**

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**Oven Mitts**

It shouldn't have been difficult. It should have been nothing, but child's play. Just a stroll in the park. A piece of cake. And whatever other idiom or metaphor people usually attached to these sorts of things. After all, she was fully capable of beating people with a kendo stick as well as latching onto the shoulders of a man twice her size. Something like this should have been simple…

It was that idiot, Chihuahua's fault, Ami, really. After a social dinner at the house with all their high school classmates, Ami had pointed an accusing finger at the small girl cooped up in a corner with Minorin while Takasu cooked over the stove.

"Oh, Tiaga-chan, you're such an ogre! Poor Takasu-kun, sweating over a hot stove while you just sit around and blend into the wall-"

"What did you say?"

A rabid attack and pulling of the hair ensued. By the time the two girls were yanked apart, Ami red with laughter and Taiga growling like a deranged kitten, it had occurred to Aisaka that she could not let this one slide.

Her? An Ogre?

_I'll give her an ogre after I make the greatest bento ever and shove it into that idiot, Chihuahua's hair!_

Taiga was very devious in her planning - collecting all of Ryuuji's cookbooks and hiding it in a cabinet before he was woke up that morning. She greeted him with a wide grin, each corner of her lips almost touching an earlobe. Suspicious, Ryuuji settled a large hand over her head.

"What are you up to? You're usually grumpier at this time."

Hiding the shade of red in her cheeks that still managed to pop up even after two years of being lovers, Taiga kicked a sock lying idly in front of her.

"No! Don't do that! Where's the other one?"

She shrugged.

"Don't know."

As expected, he sucked in a breath of shock, his face becoming pale as if his entire world had shattered.

"No, we need to find his buddy. You have the day off, so find the other one that goes with it."

"Yeah, yeah. Get out, you stupid dog."

"B-but Taiga-"

The girl interrupted any further protest when she yanked him down for a kiss. As soon as she felt Ryuuji hum into mouth, the Tiger unclamped her claws from his work shirt.

"Okay. Bye now."

She slammed the door in his face.

"Oi! Taiga!"

There was a kick against the wood, then a disgruntled mumble before she heard him shuffle down the steps. The brunette ran to the window, cracking it open just enough to catch him.

"Oi! Ryuuji?"

"What?"

"I love you, stupid."

Watching his eyes dart to both ends of the road and the blood rushing into his cheeks, Taiga grinned upon receiving the desired effect. Whispering, he scolded, "_Idiot_, since when do you yell that stuff in the street?"

"I'm not in the street, _stupid_, I'm inside the kitchen."

"Bah! I'm going."

"And I _really_ don't know where that sock is."

Ryuuji bit his lip to prevent himself from acting on the temptation of desperately rushing back inside to search for that other sock and therefore making it late to work. This was why a part of him disliked whenever his girlfriend had a day off from her job. She became particularly mischievous with him.

"Damn it, love you too, bye."

Ryuuji ran off, trying to flee from the panic swelling in him because somewhere inside his house, there was a sock, all alone and without a partner. It was tragic and heart stopping just thinking about it. Maybe he'd have time to come back during lunch and find it.

Giggling to herself, Taiga hopped away from the window. Ryuuji was gone and she had the entire day to do this. Or rather, she had until his lunch break since Wednesdays he liked to come home for food. Said it saved more money that way if he just ate in his own kitchen sometimes.

It was nine o' clock and he would be back a quarter past twelve. As soon as the girl had finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, she was up and about, still dressed in her dragon printed pajamas and her hair wrapped in a large, messy bun. Rolling up her sleeves with determination set in her eyes, Aisaka reached for the cookbooks she had stashed and laid them out on the counter.

A bento. Shouldn't be that hard. Well, she had remembered trying and horribly failing years ago back in high school, but things were different now, right? She was older, wiser and more cunning. Sure, two years might not make much of a difference, but the girl could just _feel_ the wisdom gushing through her veins!

"All right, idiot Chihuahua! I'll show you who the ogre is after I make Ryuuji a lunch that he'll never forget!"

Everything was great. All the dishes were clean. The fridge had everything she needed. She could whip it up in a jiffy.

That is, until she actually _looked_ at the recipes…

"Umm…"

_Makunouchi._ It was a simple bento with rice, meat, fish, vegetables and pickles. No biggie. She could use the rice cooker. And eggs were from the basics. Everything else didn't need much effort. That was what she assumed. It was too bad that she hadn't anticipated what was to come.

She put the water and rice into the cooker. Then she got to the eggs. The girl kept her gaze fixed to the yellow puddles, humming a tune to herself as she watched the butter pop. Everything was running smoothly so far.

In the middle of cooking the eggs, Taiga realized she had forgotten to actually _plug_ _in_ the rice cooker.

"Stupid," she muttered to herself as soon as she realized it.

So she went to plug it in, swiveled around and stared at the sink with a blank expression.

_What was I doing again?_

"I should go take out the meat and vegetables…"

After all, they needed some time to defrost, right?

She went to fetch the vegetables and meat from the refrigerator. Finding the fish was easy, but where the hell were the vegetables? It was probably a few minutes and what had become an annoyed series of huffs and puffs had now transformed into a lively rage of stringed curses. Her body was halfway into the kitchen appliance as she emptied the shelves clean.

"Where the heck are the- what? What's that?"

Something smelled smoky?

"The eggs!"

Taiga panicked, her head slamming against the marble of the refrigerator before she let out a cry. As the pain subsided to a level minor enough to get the girl walking, she slowly slipped out, rushing out to the pan to find that the last of the eggs had been cooked until they were black. Turning off the fire, Taiga reached for the pink oven mitts in an attempt to fan the smoke away.

She failed.

The alarm rang loudly, making the girl almost jump right into the ceiling. To no avail she hopped upwards, trying to clear the air from the smoke alarm that Ryuuji had _so conveniently _placed in such a high corner of the room. She made a mental note to bite him later.

By the time the alarm had stopped, Taiga was wheezing. She stumbled to the window above the sink and opened it. The eggs were black, the fish was uncooked and the fridge wide open. Not to mention, she couldn't find the pickles or any of the other vegetables.

Chewing on her lip, she nursed the growing bump on the top of her head from banging it earlier and slid the pan off of the stove. As she watched the black crisp fall into the garbage can, Taiga cursed to herself.

A few minutes past eleven. She could still do this. At the least, she could manage fish and rice.

Taiga wanted to close the fridge, but found herself steering towards the medicine cabinet in the bathroom instead. Her head was throbbing. A good cook couldn't concentrate in pain, right? Right. That was what she convinced herself.

Still equipped with oven mitts, she popped two capsules into her mouth and rested at the table in the living room. If Ryuuji was here, he would scolded her for leaving the refrigerator wide open. It wasted electricity, he said. It wouldn't be that long though. Taiga promised she was only taking a short break. Just until the pain subsided.

In five minutes, Taiga felt better. Taiga felt ambitious again. And upon motioning to stand on her own two feet-

Taiga fell flat in her face.

The room went black.

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"Where the hell are my keys?"

Ryuuji ruffled his denim strands of hair, trying to clear his vision as he searched for his keys inside his bag. Upon finding them and jamming one into the lock, Ryuuji was prepared to start his lunch by spending at least ten minutes searching for that sock. The world could not go forward with pair-less socks just lying about. That was how it started. First there was one, then another and the next thing you know, none of the socks had others to match them. It would be a horrid, peace threatening disaster- one where socks were dirty and came in odd numbers.

"Taiga, I'm home-"

Entering his home, the man had realized something was _very_ wrong.

"Taiga!"

Ryuuji shouted, feeling his adrenaline kick in the moment he noticed everything was off. His kitchen was the picture of Armageddon. With his fridge open and contents sprawled all over the room, if Ryuuji hadn't known better, he would have jumped to the conclusion that this was a robbery- unless it was a very _hungry_ robber. Even so, Taiga was nowhere in sight and without the ambiance of a random television show as he entered, Ryuuji felt his nerves go into shock.

"Taiga, where are you? What happened?"

Ryuuji wrestled past the fridge door, quickly chucking a few things inside before he slammed it closed. Luckily it hadn't been open long enough to spoil anything. The fish on the counter, however, that might have been a goner. Ryuuji encountered the garbage can, and noted the black Frisbee shapes on top.

They looked like- _eggs_?

The dragon could have smiled; amused at another one of Taiga's attempts to cook for him if it weren't for the glimpse of hair he had caught in the living room.

"Taiga!"

By the shallow rise in her chest, the girl was not just sleeping. And she was still wearing her oven mitts!

"Taiga! It's me. Wake up."

She groaned, halfway between consciousness and dream as she crumpled into Ryuuji's arms.

Concerned, he set her down gently, running to the cabinet to reach for some salts. When he returned, he applied the remedy until Taiga's amber eyes shot wide open- right before her face distorted with pain.

"Ryu- Ryuuji-"

"Taiga, what happened? What did you do?"

"I- I hit my head with the fridge. I couldn't find the vegetables."

"Idiot. That's because there aren't any."

"_Idiot_, why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Well, I had no idea you were going to venture on another one of your spontaneous attempts in the kitchen today."

"…"

"Taiga?"

There was a muffled sob, her chubby cheeks smothered beneath her oven mitt covered hands as she hid her face from him.

"I- I wanted to make you- I wanted- Ami-chan- an ogre- the eggs-"

This was what happened when Taiga cried. She began to muddle together broken sentences that made no sense in any way.

Nuzzling his forehead against the oven mitts, he hushed her, "All right, all right. I told you to leave the cooking to me, remember?"

"No, but I don't want to- I'm a terrible- an ogre-"

"Okay. Let's get you up."

Ryuuji supported her back until she sat up straight. Her hands had not left her face and it was a few moments until Taiga had grew tired of the silence, and took a peek. Ryuuji was opening the rice cooker with caution. Luckily the machine was set with a timer and it would stop cooking after a certain time. She could have burnt down the entire house it if weren't for the little built in device. Deciding on keeping that small detail to himself, Ryuuji offered Taiga a sheepish smile.

"It's a little soggy, but it cooked right."

She hiccupped, "R-Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

The man tilted his head, full of endearment as the girl slowly brought down the mitts to reveal her tear-streaked face. She looked like she had jumped right into a hurricane, but even with her hair frizzing in every which way, and her eyes bloodshot, Aisaka managed a small grin.

"Good. Now I have something to rub into that idiot's hair when she- when she-"

The room spun, but Ryuuji had caught her.

"Taiga. I think you have a concussion."

"What? No, I don't. Move! Let me stand-"

She stumbled again, right back into Ryuuji's safe embrace before he lifted her up.

"Only _you_ could pull something like this off."

"Shut up, you stupid dog. Don't forget that you're my servant."

He huffed, "Yeah, yeah. We're going outside for air while the ambulance comes."

"But what about work?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll call in."

"But-"

"Shut up and listen to me for once."

"_Fine._"

When the call was made, Ryuuji pulled her into his lap as they sat on their stoop. The temptation of closing her eyes was becoming hard to resist, but every time her head lolled, Ryuuji shook her rudely.

"Don't fall asleep. It's not good to sleep after you hit your head that hard."

"But- but I'm tired."

"_Stay_ awake, Taiga."

She answered with a hum, fitting her head beneath his chin as he applied a pack of ice to her stinging skull. Snapped between the gap of her thighs was a Tupperware, filled with the rice she had cooked and a pair of chopsticks taped to the top. The girl grinned to herself.

"We're gonna eat this when we get there?"

"Yeah. Can't let the lunch you made for me go to waste."

Finding the set of long fingers on her knee, Taiga unpeeled a mitt to slip over his hand. Above her head, Ryuuji smiled. In the distance, the wail of sirens became clearer.

Holding his oven mitt covered hand, Taiga beckoned, "Ryuuji?"

"Hmm?"

"I have something to tell you before the ambulance comes."

"What?"

"I- I _really_ did lose that sock."

"_What?_"

Taiga gave him a fanged grin.

"Heh heh."

She could get under his skin every time…

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**Yes, I realize that Taiga hits her head in both this chapter and the last. It occurred to me when I was done writing this. Sorry, Taiga, I love you! Maybe I'll write something where Ryuuji buys you a helmet hahahaha!**


	3. Chapter 3: Spoiled

I have been listening to the requests. All in good time. Stay tuned.

**Warning for suggestive sexual themes in this one!**

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"One more."

That was what she had said that night. The night that had felt so eternal, it felt as if rice grains were pricking his knees for an entire hour before they must have stumbled against the futons from weak knees. The four-sided room in his grandparent's house seeped into an illusory, their sore and wet mouths still agape with an eagerness that one gets with new discovery.

He still remembered it. Fresh in his mind just like Taiga knew pork cutlets by the salty scent alone without her even being in the same room. From time to time, the memory would tempt a smirk across the man's face and during the worst moments - particularly during a long winded day of work when he wanted nothing more than to bicker and secretly nuzzle against his bite sized lover. Since he was at work, there was nothing he could do to tame his imagination. And so, Ryuuji would restrain his desire with a sheepish grin that he hid when he looked down and twirled a lock of hair on his fingers.

One more was all she asked. But one turned into two. Two turned into five. And so on.

His "Tenori" Taiga was a greedy girl. He could never say that he blamed her though. Everything she had ever stretched an arm to, even the slightest - those wishes would fall onto the deaf ears of light hanging up across bleak nights. And since Taiga had to fight to be happy, Ryuuji made it his goal to make sure that he was as generous as he could be.

She would never have to fight him for happiness. Sure, it was a daily occurrence fighting over socks being left on the floor, the lights being left on when they weren't in use, her habit to change his shampoo to something fruit punch like and his habit to change it back to a more organic scent, but fighting over happiness? Never.

There was never a kiss, a hug or a compliment held too secret between them. No matter how small the parcel of affection, Ryuuji had no hesitation in giving it. And receiving such things in large, plentiful amounts was the beginning of the little Tiger becoming addicted.

While Ryuuji was known for some of his more feminine traits such as his obsession to clean and his precise attitude when cooking, Takasu was still a man. A man who responded to a woman with needs…

"R-Ryuuji-"

And this particular morning, Taiga was feeling_ especially_ deprived of affection and no cloud would float over her head until she got what she wanted. Problem was, it was ten minutes to eight already. He needed to be at work by nine. Well, _they_ needed to be at work by nine because once upon a time, they had worked together at the same job before.

_Damn it. And I just ironed these suits…_

"Taiga- we're gonna miss the train." He tried to protest while trying to keep his balance as she forced them back into the house, her iron grip wrinkling his perfected creased collar.

"Just- a few- minutes, damn it," she growled, sneaking a tiny hand beneath his work shirt and across the ridges of his sensitive stomach. He hiccupped with the touch and seized her fingers.

"We can't be late, Taiga."

He used his, "You should know better," tone, and while all that did was further inspire her to curse him out, it was an effective way to stall this new mood brewing so that they could make some money to pay their rent.

She put on the face though. The pout. The eyes. _All_ of it. Equipped with a guilt trip just for him and in seconds, Ryuuji sighed in defeat.

"After work, I promise," he punctuated with the nip of her lips and he felt her sink in. Before he could go too far, her voice lowered a few decibels and _that_ was always a problem for him- or well, a _part _of him anyway…

"One more. Please?"

She said "Please." And she didn't associate him with a canine…

_This is goo- no, I mean, bad. This is bad!_

His girlfriend stood there, clenching her fists as if she was summoning all the will of her body into her hands just to keep from wanting to be close to him. Watching as her blonde bangs split to reveal what he liked to call, "Pity Shine" in her large eyes, Ryuuji groaned.

He kissed her again. Saw the look. Kissed her again. The look. Again-

And then it was too late…

Ryuuji had easily scooped her up to sit on the kitchen counter, her knees already under his arms as he held her neck steady to his mouth.

Obviously victorious, she tried to tease, "Yeah, that's right, you mongrel-"

The tables were turned effortlessly when the denim-haired man pulled at her earlobe with his teeth, catching the meat of her waist and drawing them to his own in a dominant thrust forceful enough to show her who was driving.

"What? I didn't hear you."

If she had intended on insulting him after that, her words of fury dissipated and released from her cheeks as nothing but air.

Even in the heat of the moment, Ryuuji was careful not to wrinkle her skirt too much or get his pants ruined. After all, no matter _how_ magical he was with house chores, there was _no_ _way_ that he had time to iron again.

"Ryuuji," she whined, already jerking at his belt and trying to make a mess. The man reached for her wrists, trapping her against the marble as he leaned in to continue his quest into her collar.

"Stop- being- so annoying," she huffed, sensing his instinct to stay as unruffled as possible.

Baking cookies. Sports. House parties. Sex. It was unfortunate that some of the most enjoyable things in life involved messes.

"We- don't have time- to iron," he reprimanded, but to no avail.

Taiga delved into his mouth with such ferocity, he could swear her tongue was seeking to tag his tonsils. As she clutched his waist, Ryuuji involuntarily released the husky beckon that had been grinding up his throat as he scrambled for the lace of her underwear. Palms on her thighs, Taiga squeaked before their foreheads lifted for just a fraction of a second - just enough for Ryuuji to see her spoiled grin.

"Greedy."

"Your fault, stupid," she accused before she busied her teeth against his collarbone.

Successfully retrieving the bunch of cotton between his fingers as he escaped the heat beneath her skirt, he could do nothing more in this kind of situation, but to agree. Not only that, but he was getting just as impatient as his partner- a bad habit that had rubbed off on him in recent years.

"Yeah. You're right. It _is_ my fault."

The soon to be Mrs. Takasu Taiga was _very_ spoiled by him. And Ryuuji was nowhere near stopping anytime soon. Even after their shirts were coiled across the tatami and Taiga pled for one more round after work, Ryuuji answered with a heavy "yes" strong enough to blow through her bangs like a gust of wind.

She would always ask for one more. Then another. And another.

And Ryuuji would always be willing to give in to her.

After all, perhaps _he _was a little greedy too.

* * *

**I wanted to try something a little different with this one. Less fluff, although it still ended up a little fluffy, haha. Oh well. **


	4. Chapter 4: Guard Dog

**I know. I've been extinct! But well- life kept me going too crazy and too tired to write. Ah, but now it's vacation and reading Yotsuba&! put me in a happy mood. Enjoy!**

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* * *

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**Guard Dog**

Every year he spent with this woman, it only decreased years from his total life span.

Daily. Constantly. Taiga had him going _insane_ with worry.

If Taiga had the day off, Ryuuji could not find any peace at work. He tried to convince her those mornings, find out what her plans were. Visit Ami-chan and Minorin? Pick up a few things at the supermarket? Buy a new pair of shoes? _Anything_ as long as it kept her _outside_ the house! The man professionally slipped into bathroom stalls unnoticed just to call home and pray that the fire department wouldn't answer.

"Taiga? Are you home?"

"No, stupid. It's an imposter answering your house phone!"

"Arrggh, you're not getting into trouble, are you?"

"That's what you call me for? You'd better be cooking pork cutlets tonight."

"Whatever. Just- if you're hungry before I get home, call me first."

"I-" There was a pause which must have been his wife blushing furiously on the other end. "I- _know_ what I'm doing! I don't need a watch dog, okay?"

Dial tone…

_Memo to self. Pick up some pork cutlets on the way home._

It's not that he was _afraid _of what she'd do to the house while unsupervised, but more afraid of what the _house_ would do to _her_. You see, Taiga was a magnet for disaster. And while her accidents were less frequent with a fiancée around who managed to yank her fingers away _right_ before the hot oil popped, catch her _right _as her heel slipped across the rug and stop her before she even _attempted_ to put a red sock in with the whites, tragedy always seemed to find her through the cracks anyway.

Cracks like when he had days of work and _she_ had a day off or when he went to take a shower and left her to watch TV. Sure, she shouldn't have been able to cause _too_ much trouble, but somehow the petite brunette always proved him wrong. He had a few hospital bills and a list of appliances he needed to repair as proof.

"_Taiga! The microwave! What the hell happened?"_

"_Hmm, what? What's your problem?"_

"_The friggin' microwave just blew out! What did you do?"_

"_I-I didn't do it."_

"_Then why was your bra inside melting?"_

"…"

"_Taiga…"_

"_T-the dryer was full and I needed a dry bra so I figured the microwave does the same thing-"_

"_It doesn't! You could have put the whole house on fire!"_

"_Well I didn't so isn't that a good thing!"_

"_That's not the point, idiot!"_

"_Shut up, you moron! How about you take your boxers out of the dryer so that I can dry my bra!"_

They still haven't had the chance to buy a new microwave. Perhaps, that was the bulk of his concern. Without a microwave, there was no convenient and safe way to cook harmless meals when he wasn't around. And as much as he loved Taiga, she did _not_ have a knack for cooking…or that tingle of adrenaline that sensed danger in which every other human had.

Pulling at his bangs, which was usually of sign of him either being embarrassed or in deep thought, Ryuuji pressed the redial button.

"What do _you_ want, _stalker_?"

"S-_stalker_? Stupid! Don't say stuff like that while I'm calling you from work!"

"Then don't call me from work, _slacker_!"

Ryuuji grunted, "Taiga…"

"_What?_"

Silence.

"I might have to work overtime, so can you pick up the pork cutlets and I'll meet you at the supermarket?"

Silence again. He could almost picture her rebellious pout.

"Taiga… Please."

"Okay, fine! What time are you coming?"

"Meet you at six. You can pick up some snacks too."

"…Ice cream?"

Sensing the bubbling joy she was trying to hide in her voice, he grinned.

"It's getting cold now."

"So, what? It's not winter just yet!"

"All right, whatever. See you then."

"Okay! Now go back to work, _slacker_."

Ryuuji snickered and hung up. She was going outside soon, to browse and no doubt grab sugar until it was illegal for her small digestive system unless she wanted diabetes. The task should keep her busy for a while. Unless there was a microwave or stove in a supermarket, the fire department could rest assured.

Returning to his work, Ryuuji felt his shoulders unwind in hopes that nothing could go wrong.

Nothing could go wrong, right?

* * *

"Idiot. I'm buying the mango mochi then," Taiga decided, muffling an evil chuckle as she purposely put the mango flavored treat into her cart, the flavor that her fiancée favored the least.

The girl marched down the aisle, practically dropping boxes of cookies and chips without looking, her arm out in a sweeping motion as the boxes fell sloppily into her cart. Taiga convinced herself that she needed sugar. She'd been more tired as of late, and as hard as _that_ was to believe since she was frequently bouncing off the walls, she had felt a strange strain starting from her lower back during the past few weeks.

It kept her up at night and then since she was up with nothing else to do, she also got hungry. And so she ate. By the time Ryuuji woke up on her days off, she was on her tenth dream. Crumbs scattered over her lips and she groggily felt him smudge them off from her with a careful finger before she slipped back into temporary coma.

So sugar. If Ryuuji complained, well- then she'd just explain later.

For now - grab. Grab. Grab! Unbiased and unrelenting! Sugar and salt!

When she turned two aisles down, she sped past the feminine products with a blush and arrived at the meat section. Out of self-justice, she threw in an extra pack of pork cutlets. Red meat was just as good for her err- energy preservation.

She must have been so caught up in her righteous mood, that she hadn't noticed when she bumped straight into the cart of a couple of college jocks. Their cart was full of almost as much junk as hers, with the addition of beer and minus the meat. Upon the collision, they all turned to glare at the small woman.

"_WHAT?_ You have a _problem_?" Taiga accused loudly with a finger, not paying mind that it was _her_ who bumped into _them_, but no one told them to be in _her_ aisle anyway.

The three men cringed, only one having the audacity to push forward, his expression of disapproval brewing into mischievous interest. Poor soul. He hadn't a clue that a jack in the box would come punching straight out of the small pretty package to catch him in the face.

"Doing a little junk food shopping of your own there, hey tiny miss?"

"Yeah! What's it to you?"

"Well, because by coincidence, so are we? By any chance, are you buying snacks for the big game this weekend?"

"Game?"

"Yeah, you know? The baseball game."

"No. These are all for _me_." The Tiger spat territorially as if predators were seeking to steal her treats for themselves.

The leader hummed, "Well, that's too bad then. Since we're not joining each other in the same festivities and can't share snacks, it seems that _you_ owe _us _a new keg."

They gestured at her wheels where Taiga noticed the dented mini keg of beer beside her cart. Luckily it wasn't punctured, just a bit out of shape.

"_Moron_. The beer aisle's just a step over. Just get a new one and get out of my way."

"The problem is, there was a sale running today because of the big game. And that, tiny miss, was the _last_ keg."

She shrugged, "It's not broken. You could still drink it."

The guy grabbed the end of her cart, blocking her path and his knuckles white on the metal. An employee sensed the commotion and attempted to intervene.

"E-excuse me, sir? We can check in the back for more, if you'd like. You don't have to bother this poor young lady-"

"NO!"

The two shoppers in unison barked for the employee to beat it and Taiga's glare did not falter.

"I _think_ you're _missing_ the _point_, tiny-"

"And _I_ think if _you _call me _tiny_ one more time-"

There was a pause. The calm before the storm. Her cart was about to jerk in his fingers when his companions nervously called out to him.

"A-Aniki?"

"What? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?"

When he failed to listen to his friends, they jerked on his sleeves and pointed at a looming figure standing at the end of the aisle. A menacing aura radiated from the stranger, putting cold into their very bones. Judging by the harsh indent of the man's brows, the unbuttoned collar suit and his murderous show of teeth, the jocks could only come to one conclusion.

"Yakuza!"

"Taiga," the voice sneered quietly, an assassin who preferred to whisper his threats.

Looking back at the man, she shrugged, "I _told_ you I didn't need a guard dog, you mongrel."

The jocks gasped in shock at her audacity, but the man's expression only worsened as he began to head towards them. If she was the woman of a Yakuza member, it was no wonder the little monster was so feral.

In reality, Taiga was always rude and fearless, and it had nothing to do with the mafia. But _they_ didn't know that and well- Ryuuji's face didn't exactly say differently, especially at the moment. It was the same face that had upperclassmen willingly giving him lunch money by the shoe lockers and bullies the size of battering rams cowering behind trees on his walks home from high school. Except now, it was worse. This time, he had _meant_ to give that face and he was using it to its full potential. If Taiga hadn't known about Ryuuji's pink apron and preference for sea breeze fabric softener, perhaps she'd have been a bit shaken too.

"Aniki, I think we should g-get out of here."

Clearing his throat and releasing Taiga's cart, the jock apologized, "U-uhh, I'm sorry, miss. Don't worry about it. It was our bad. No hard feelings, okay? No hard feelings."

They shoved a fifty into her hand and they flew out of there like bats out of hell, abandoning their cart and duties to their game weekend. Taiga nonchalantly grabbed a bag of chips that was sitting in their groceries as she put the money away.

"Ooh! I was looking for these!"

Claiming the bag, she felt her fiancée appear beside her with a mumble.

"Can't I _ever_ leave you alone?"

"Hey! I didn't need the guard dog routine. I could have taken care of it myself-"

_Or maybe I couldn't have…_

When something had struck her, she zipped the lip and began rolling towards another aisle. Head low and biting her lip, Ryuuji knew this expression. Guilt.

"Taiga?"

"We need cereal before we go home-"

"What are you hiding?"

"Hey, look, Ryuuji, frosted shredded wheat."

_His_ choice of cereal? She was _definitely_ hiding something.

"_Taiga_," he stretched her name, trying to push her into spilling the beans when he had noticed they were not in the cereal aisle at all. Or rather, they were, but the _wrong_ kind of cereal. Looking down, he noticed the woman's face still at the tiles, a small jar of baby food in her trembling hands. His jaw dropped and speechless, his hands just hung awkwardly in the air. She shoved the jar into his hands for it to just drop to the floor with a crash.

"Taiga!"

"You were _supposed_ to grab it, _stupid_!"

"Sorry- wait- no! I mean, what _is_ this?"

"What the hell does it look like? Cereal!"

There was an obvious cough and the couple turned to see a concerned supervisor gesturing at the mess of baby food at their feet. Blushing, they apologized.

"W-we'll pay for that," Ryuuji assured to safely clear the aisle of any more interruptions. Clearing his throat, he made another attempt.

"Taiga," the words were there, but stuck in his throat, "A-are you-"

At her maximum level of red, Taiga squeaked loudly, "IT'S NOT LIKE I DID IT TO MYSELF!"

"TAIGA-" He stopped himself to hush her and they both faced the shelves, away from all the tuned in shoppers now concerned about the gossip of the couple discussing an unplanned accident in a supermarket aisle. Ryuuji looked at the contents of their supermarket cart filled with nothing but junk or double servings of their meals. The world suddenly made sense in a terrifying, but wonderful way. After a moment of silence, the man calmed her shaking hand against the shelf with his own. She looked up, eyes large and hopeful and he grinned.

"You sure?"

"Y-yes. Of course I am. Stupid- Oww!"

Flicking her forehead, he sighed, "I'm going to live a very short life, thanks to you, you know?"

"Huh?"

"Because now I can _never_ leave you alone."

With a shy smirk, she squeezed his fingers, "Stalker."

And with a kiss to her brow, his whispered over her bangs -

"Forever."

* * *

**Gah. I'm a sucker for fluff. It's Yotsuba&!'s fault. That manga's my happy manga. It will slap a smile on anyone's face. :3**

**Shout out to Luv2game: COME TO THE DARK SIDE aka TORADORAaAaAa!  
**


	5. Chapter 5: More Flags, More Fun

**More Flags, More Fun**

It was their one-year anniversary. A full year after graduation, their relationship was at full swing. Plans of sharing an apartment were in the works, they had obtained steady jobs and were approved by both ends of the family tree.

While he thought that his biggest dilemma yet was trying to convince Taiga that all of her stuffed animals (whether he gave them to her or not) were dangerous sources for allergens and with one too many, it could turn the air of a perfectly clean home into a human-sized dust pan, Ryuuji, once again, had found that he had underestimated his Taiga dilemmas.

For their one year anniversary, he felt like there was nothing that would make his little Tiger happier than a few spins on the tea cups and a few rolls on a coaster. Unfortunately, as much as he calculated his personal days from work, budgeted his paychecks and even reserved a dinner for tonight a few months in advance, Takasu Ryuuji was a step from perfection with this slip up. If only he'd foreseen it sooner. It could've prevented the dilemma at hand.

"Taiga, calm down."

"No, I will_ not_ calm down! This idiot here isn't doing his job right!"

She pointed an accusing finger at the park employee, clad in a bright orange and green that under this intense sun, made Ryuuji wince.

"Listen, little miss, it says here-"

"Look, Ryuuji, he insulted me! Now be a good dog and sic him!"

"Taiga, he called you little."

"And I am _not_ little! I am just conveniently compact for traveling purposes! Now defend my honor!"

Ryuuji huffed, his arm in front of his girlfriend, the only barrier keeping her from pouncing, claws unsheathed and fangs out.

"We can find something else, Taiga. There's still a whole amusement park to explore."

"But I want to go on this ride! It isn't fair! This is racist!"

"_Bias_-"

"Whatever! I have rights!"

Quickly, he looked around, trying to find something to distract her with and hopefully drag her away before their crowd of onlookers turned into double digits. When he spotted a vendor a few feet away, right next to the nice, harmless, and most likely, not height restricted carousel, he moved to action.

"Look, Taiga! Didn't you want to try that ice cream? The one made out of little dots like space food?"

"Wait, Ryuuji, can't you see that I have a possible law suit in progress?"

"You _can't_ sue him, Taiga, he _is _doing his job. It's probably not safe."

"It's only an inch! An inch! One. Stinking. Inch!"

With hesitation, the employee interrupted. "Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience. It's just that, unless you're _this _tall and your head reaches _this_ line, we can't allow you to ride this coaster. Like your boyfriend says, it would be unsafe and if something were to happen, I would be held responsible-"

"_Oh?_ So now we're all in cahoots with one another, are we? I'll tell you what then _fruit salad_, why don't you and my _boyfriend_ have a ball on this coaster by yourselves! I'm going home and I'm calling my lawyer!"

"You don't _have _a lawyer," her boyfriend commented and he could tell that she was moments away from giving him the finger.

"I _will_ have one when I get home! _Idiot_."

Taiga kicked the ruler that had condemned her in the first place, the kick shaking the mascot to the point that Takasu was ready to begin calculating property damages into his budgeting, and watched as she walked away mumbling.

"Stupid mascot's not all that cute, anyway…"

After apologizing to the employee for the scene, his third scene within their first half hour since admission, the Dragon realized that if he didn't solve this soon, they'd be banned from the park for good. The last thing that he wanted was to be escorted out by security, and as much as Taiga did have good reason to be upset, and typical of a feline, she hissed when her tail was stepped on, he knew that his girlfriend had meant no harm. It was their anniversary and all she wanted to do was to have fun. And as he watched her long hair sway at her back, guilt seeped in and he instantly wished he'd planned this better. The point was to make her happy, not the reverse.

They both sat at the bench closest to the ice cream stand. Silent, Taiga maintained her pout and avoided facing him.

Ryuuji couldn't help it. She deserved an apology.

"Taiga, it's my fault. I'm sorr-"

"Shut up."

"But-"

"Go away," she scolded, despite doing the opposite of her words and landing her temple to his shoulder.

After a few minutes of silence had calmed her fury, he found her looking suggestively towards the ice cream vendor. He snickered, "What flavor?"

"What do they have?"

"I hear they have a flavor called birthday cake."

"Ooh, give me that! And chocolate!"

"Coming right up!"

* * *

"Hey Ryuuji."

"Hmm?"

"Do they really eat this in space?"

"No idea. I wanna know why it doesn't melt right away. It's a scientific breakthrough! Less spills on clothing and my hands won't be sticky!"

She glared at him, "Only _you_ would care about something like that."

"You're right."

He took a second to wipe the chocolate from her cheek and lick it from his fingers. "Mmm, I should try birthday cake next time."

"It's good, right?"

For the first time since they arrived, her grin reached her earlobes. The man felt that warm and fuzzy feeling that was usually her fault, and upon appreciating her smile, an idea struck him.

Shoving the last scoop of ice cream in his mouth and enduring the brain freeze with a grimace, he reached for her hair.

"Let me see something."

"Wait- what-"

"Taiga, give me your hair scrunchie-"

Red in the face, she fended him off, "We're not at home, you mongrel! This isn't the time to play hair salon!"

"T-Taiga!"

He shouted, his face equally red as he avoided the staring passerby's and motioned for her scrunchie.

"Just give it to me. I wanna see something."

Wordlessly, she obeyed. As she felt him gathering her hair up her scalp, she helped herself to the last of her ice cream to give herself another focus from the people who noticed the couple and whispered.

When gossip gave way to obnoxious laughing for one particular group of girls, Taiga yelled, "My hands are sticky, okay? You're just jealous!"

Shooed off by the Tiger's fierce glare, the girls retreated. Ryuuji had finished tying up her hair and as he backed away to observe his work, he nodded with approval.

"What?"

"Your hair, Taiga, when it's up in a ponytail, you look taller."

She'd almost forgotten about it until he brought it up.

"I don't care about that anymore, just forget it-"

"Come with me," he ordered, yanking her by the wrist and making way towards the parking lot.

"Where are we going?"

"It's only eleven and the park doesn't close until nine tonight. We still have some time to fix this."

"Eh? Speak Japanese, idiot! I don't know what you're talking about!"

He chopped her in the forehead and she cursed.

"That hurt!"

"You're going to get on that coaster, stupid! Just go along with me for once!"

"I- I am? I mean, you're stupid!"

He continued to drag her to the exit where they got their hands stamped and walked to the car. After about a half hour drive away from the amusement park and onto a main street, Ruuji stopped in front of a shoe store.

"What? What the hell are we doing here?"

Ryuuji palmed her nose and she bit him in return. At this rate, they'd have to stop by the pharmacy for a small first aid kit.

"Ouch! Let's just go."

"Not until you tell me why."

The blonde crossed her arms and legs in unison, not even a tidal wave would get her to move unless her boyfriend quit the mystery and spilled the beans.

"Okay, Taiga," he offered a hand to help her out of the car, "We're here to buy you a last minute pair of sneakers."

"Sneakers? But the ones I have are perfectly fine."

"Except that you've had them for a while and the rubber's probably worn out from so much use. And if my theory works, then we can get you on that coaster."

She looked at him, straight in the eye and her anger brightening into hope. "Y-you'd better not be lying to me, Ryuuji! It's not right to get a woman's hopes up."

"I'm not, I promise. And if I am, then you can have all of the ice cream you want."

He might've regretted his most recent negotiation. He wasn't sure if his wallet could take Aisaka's relentless spree of ice cream, but at the same time, he was so confident that his plan would work out, it was a risk he'd have to take.

"Fine. And next time you need to get yourself birthday cake."

"I will."

* * *

Twelve-thirty. The park employee eagerly checked his wristwatch, counting down the minutes until his one o' clock lunch break. He was looking forward to the rest of the day going without incident until he saw a familiar couple approaching him. Unfortunately, there was no place to hide, and with a sour look about him; He greeted the grumpy woman from earlier.

"I'm here to ride this coaster," she demanded, foot stomping and waist cocking included.

"Listen, I already _told_ you before-"

"I don't know what you're talking about mister, but this is the first time we've ever met."

"Huh?"

Ryuuji smiled, "Oh, _look_, Taiga, it's your favorite mascot on that _ruler_ there."

The employee was ready to reach for the phone and call security when she lined up against the ruler, a beaming grin over her face. He did a double take before hanging up the phone and questioning if missing breakfast that morning disrupted his memory.

"W-wait, you weren't that tall before-"

"Like I said, mister, I don't have _any_ idea what you're talking about. Isn't that right, Ryuuji?"

"Yup. Look at that, you're even an inch above the standard height for this ride! You should be able to ride everything in this park now!"

"Like the log flume?"

"Yup."

"The tea cups?"

"Uh huh."

"And the free fall, too?"

"Yup. That too."

Taiga reached for Ryuuji's hand and the two marched victoriously onto the line ahead without sparing so much as a peek towards the baffled employee.

"But- wait- earlier- you-"

"Ryuuji, this is gonna be _so_ much fun! I hope you're not afraid of this. I bet you are, you chicken."

He laughed, accepting her challenge, "Hah! I bet you'll scream with the first hill!"

"Are you gonna put ice cream where your mouth is?"

"Betting ice cream? Deal!"

If the park staff member wanted to stop them, he'd given up. As he sulked by the ruler, he checked his watch again - still a ways to go before lunch and plenty of time to doubt himself.

Before Taiga had strapped herself into the coaster, she caught the Dragon off guard with a kiss. The bar came down and he found her hand.

"Happy anniversary, Ryuuji. I'm having a lot of fun!"

Ryuuji twisted her arm around hers just in case, since her hair style and a new pair of sneakers were the only things cheating her onto these rides, and grinned, "Happy anniversary, Taiga."

* * *

**A/N: I know. I vanished off the face of the planet. But I was in the mood for fluff and taking a break from something else that I'd been writing for months, and ToraDora was just the remedy I needed. Hope it pleased. X3**


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